1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to waist-supported carrying devices such as packs for carrying personal possessions and more particularly relates to a waist-supported seat cushion structure including an elastically resilient cushion pad stored in extended form within its own first pocket, both the first pocket and the cushion pad being enclosed within a second pocket when not in use but which are deployable by extraction of the first pocket and contained cushion pad from the second pocket while still attached thereto and extended for use as a soft and elastic seat cushion on which a person may comfortably sit for long intervals.
2. Background of the Invention
A preliminary patentability and novelty search has revealed the existence of the following United States patents:
A careful review of each of these patents has failed to reveal the invention disclosed and claimed herein.
Some of the most popular sources of entertainment for the public are sporting events such as basketball, football, tennis and other such sporting events that attract tens of thousands of spectators to view a contest between teams, including multiple participants, or pairs of participants, such as in the sport of tennis. In each of these instances, it is customary for the spectators to sit on some type of supporting structure, whether it is a concrete ledge, a wooden bench or folding wooden or plastic chairs. In all of these seating arrangements for spectators, the posterior of an individual sitting for several hours to view the sporting event becomes uncomfortable to the point that the discomfort motivates the spectator to stand up occasionally to relieve the discomfort associated with the spectator""s posterior to the detriment of another spectator that is seated behind the person that must stand to relieve his or her discomfort and thus block the view for the person sitting immediately behind the person standing.
It is therefore one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide a composite cushion structure on which the spectator may sit during the course of the sporting event so as to provide an elastically resilient and comfortable seat for the spectator that alleviates or precludes discomfort from extended sitting.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a cushion structure that not only provides resiliently comfortable cushioned support for a spectator""s posterior but that is also provided with a convenient means for carrying the cushion structure so as to eliminate the inconvenience of having to carry the cushion structure under the arms or in the hands which are in most instances occupied with other things being carried, such as food and beverages.
Still another object of the invention is the provision of an elastically resilient cushion structure including a carrying case or component for secure enclosure of the resilient cushion pad in a small compact unit that may be detachably secured about the person""s waist.
Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a cushion structure that may be utilized as a comfortable elastically resilient seat while the attached carrying case for the cushion is attached about a person""s waist
A still further object of the invention is the provision of a deployable and contractible cushion structure that includes a pocket within which valuable items such as money, tickets, check book or other things such as car keys may be securely enclosed while the cushion is being sat upon without danger that these valuables will be stolen.
The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will become apparent from the following description and the drawings. It is to be understood however that the invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated and described since the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the appended claims.
In terms of broad inclusion, the deployable and contractible cushion structure, including means for detachable attachment about the waist of a user, comprises initially a unitary flat piece of preferably woven fabric that is ultimately folded and sewn to provide in its completed form three separate and different pockets, each of the pockets being provided with specific closure means. In a first of the pockets is contained a relatively thick elastically resilient cushion pad formed from open or closed cell polyurethane or other suitable synthetic resinous material. A second pocket, substantially in the same plane as the pocket containing the resilient pad and opening in the direction of the open end of the first pocket, is provided to contain the elastically resilient cushion pad when it and the pocket in which is contained are contracted into a generally cylindrical roll to fit within the second pocket that is thereafter closed by a flap to retain the rolled elastically resilient cushion pad in contracted form when not in use. A third pocket is formed in the flap that forms the closure for the second pocket and is provided with a zipper enabling enclosure and containment of valuables such as money, tickets or car keys that are out of sight but which are readily available by unzipping the third pocket. Means are also provided retaining the assembly in contracted form when the resilient cushion pad, contained in its separate pocket, is rolled up and inserted into the second pocket and the flap closed to encase and retain the cushion pad in its contracted rolled form. Additionally, means are provide mounted outside of the second pocket, including a flexible belt, manipulable to detachably secure the contracted cushion structure about the waist of the user.